TANZANIA is scaling up efforts to prepare its youth for the job market, with the government unveiling new education reforms aimed at strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a key driver of decent employment and industrial development.
Speaking at the opening of the African TVET Conference held in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof Daniel Mushi, said the recent reforms reflect a major shift in the country’s education priorities.
He said the revision of the 2014 Education and Training Policy, which was updated in 2023, promotes competency-based learning, industry relevance and flexible learning pathways across the education system.
“This policy strengthens the role of vocational education and training at both secondary and post-secondary levels, laying a solid foundation for early career readiness and national skills development,” he said.
The conference, themed “Skills Development for Decent Employment,” was convened by the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) in collaboration with the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) and the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA).
It brought together stakeholders and delegates from eight countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Malawi and Norway, as well as Tanzania.
He said the government is also prioritising promoting research and innovation to support industrialisation, advancing gender equality and modernising the legal framework through a comprehensive review of the current Education Act to make it more responsive.
On her part, ATE Chief Executive Officer Ms Suzanne Ndomba-Doran said the conference plays a critical role in enhancing the environment for technical and vocational education in the country.
“This platform brings together experts from the eight participating countries to share insights on how the vocational education sector can be developed to generate decent and sustainable jobs for Tanzanian youth,” she said.
She added that ATE, in partnership with TUCTA and its affiliates, has been implementing a three-year national skills development project since 2021, with the first phase completed last year.
Through this initiative, we have provided training to approximately 1,098 youth in key trades such as refrigeration, air conditioning and hospitality.
On his part, Executive Director of the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI), Mr Leodegar Tenga, echoed the importance of the conference, stating that the platform helps fuel the production of a skilled and hard-working youth workforce.
“This kind of dialogue is essential for equipping our young people with practical skills and enhancing productivity in industries,” he said.
